Ball cock for one-piece water closet



March 24, 1970 l. A. WARD BALL COCK FOR ONE-PIECE WATER CLOSET 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 23, 1965 INVENTOR. /ZI//A/ ,4- M69 March 24, 1970 l. A. WARD 3,501,779

BALL COCK FOR ONE-PIECE WATER CLOSET Filed Deo. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /ZV//l/ 4 M4@ 77 l I 7a 77 72H/Z 47277/ 24W-MW# United States Patent 3,501,779 BALL COCK FOR UNE-PIECE WATER CLOSET Irving A. Ward, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Modern Faucet Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 23, 1965. Ser. No. 516,006 Int. Cl. E03d 1/26, 1/28, 1/34 U.S. Cl. 4 13 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A ball cock valve assembly for one-piece water closets including a unique mounting bracket which incorporates the water inlet and further including an improved shutoif valve coupled with a novel anti-Siphon valve assembly for controlling the flow of water to the bowl and to the tank.

This invention relates to an improved valve assembly and more particularly to a ball cock valve assembly for a one-piece water closet.

Over the years, various valve assemblies and ball cock valves have been devised for controlling the water ow into water closets. Typical water closets include a bowl and a reservoir or tank communicating with the bowl for holding a supply of water at a sufficient head for flushing the bowl through a drain. A valve assembly is generally provided to supply water for Washing the bowl during flushing, refilling the bowl to a suitable level and refilling the tank. With the advent of one piece water closets having a tank formed integrally with the bowl, certain difculties have arisen in devising valve assemblies for accomplishing the above purposes. The tank portion of a one piece water closet typically is relatively low thereby presenting ushing and washing problems, and additionally does not provide suitable space above the water level for accommodating many of the typical valve assemblies. Valve assemblies have been devised for use with one piece Water closets but include bulky and frequently unreliable mechanisms, such as complex cocking mechanisms, complex rotary valve mechanisms, etc., for performing the required functions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve assembly.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved ball cock for one piece water closets.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively compact and easily mountable valve assembly for water closets.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a valve assembly having an improved shut oit valve for water closets.

It is a still further object of the pres-ent invention to provide a novel anti-Siphon valve assembly for supplying Water to the bowl and tank of a water closet.

Other objects and features of this invention will become more apparent through a detailed consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a one piece water closet having a valve assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention mounted therein;

FIGURE 2 is a partial plan view taken along a line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of the valve assembly taken along a line 3 3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a partial perspective view of the valve assembly mounted on the tank wall of a water closet;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional elevation of the value assembly taken along a line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

lCC

FIGURE 6 is a sectional elevation similar to FIGURE 5, but with part of the valve assembly in a different operative position;

FIGURE 7 is a side sectional elevation of the valve taken along a line 7 7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a top sectional view of the valve taken along a line 8 8 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is a partial sectional elevation of a shut olf valve of the valve assembly taken along a line 9 9 of FIGURES 7 and 8; and

FIGURE l0 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 showing the shutoff valve in an open position.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to FIGURES 1 through 4, a valve assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, generally designated by a reference numeral 10, is shown mounted in the tank 11 of a one-piece water closet 12 having a bowl 13. The water closet 12 includes a passageway 14 extending from the tank 11 at 15 and normally closed by a stopper 16. The passageway 14 communicates with the bowl 13 at 17 to supply water from the tank 11 to ush the contents of the bowl 13 through a passageway 18 communicating with a drain 19.

The bowl 13 further includes a rim 21 having a chamber 22 therein. Apertures 23 are provided through the interior of the rim 21 for allowing washing and lling Water to be supplied to the interior of the bowl 13. A conventional handle 25 and lever assembly 26 is provided for operating the stopper 16 which is hinged through flexible hinges 27 to the lower portion of an overflow tube 28. The overflow tube 28 communicates at its lower end with the drain 19 to prevent the level of water in the tank 11 from rising too high in a conventional manner in the event a value malfunction occurs. A conventional float ball 30 and lever arm 31 is provided within the tank 11 for operating the valve assembly 10.

The valve assembly 10 generally includes a novel valve mechanism 34 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and a housing 35 therefor, a shut otf valve 36 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, and may include a bracket 37 coupled with the valve assembly for mounting the assembly onto a rear wall 38 of the tank 11. The bracket 37 has an aperture therethrough for suppling water from an inlet tube 39 to the Valve assembly. The bracket 37 is essentially the shape of a C clamp and includes a rear leg 40 which abuts against the rear of the wall 38 and has the inlet tube 39 connected therewith, and a T shaped leg 41 having screws 42 and 43 threaded therethrough for retaining the clamp 37 onto the wall 38. A lid 44 may be provided for the Water closet 12 and have a slot 45 therein enabling the lid to be placed over the bracket 37. The bracket 37 includes an internal passageway 46 (note FIGURE 7) communicating with the inlet tube 39 and through a short connecting tube 47 with the shut olf valve 36. As will appear subsequently, the shut ofIr valve 36 supplies water under pressure from the inlet tube 39 into the valve housing 35 through a bore 48.

The valve mechanism 34 within the housing 35 is shown in detail in FIGURES 5 through 8. A cover 49 is secured to an end of the housing 35 by means of screws, and a gasket 50 is located between the cover and housing. The valve mechanism generally includes a lightweight valve plug 51 formed of a lightweight plastic material such as nylon or a fluorocarbon resin and a yolk member 52 which raises the valve plug 51. The valve plug 51 has a flanged lower end 53 which seats against the upper end 54 of a hush tube 55 which is secured within an aperture 56 in the housing 35 and extends down into the tank 11 for supplying lling water to the tank.

It will be appreciated that the end 54 of the hush tube 55 may either be integral therewith, or it may be a separate cylindrical fitting secured within the housing 35 with the hush tube S being secured thereto or to the housing 35 at the bore 56.

The yolk member 52 includes fingers 58 and 59 (note FIGURE 8) which may engage the bottom of the ange 53 of the valve plug S1 to raise the plug. A shaft 60 extends through the housing 35 and a bore in the yolk member 52, the shaft 60 being secured to the yolk by means of a set screw 61. Spacer sleeves 62 and 63 may be positioned on the shaft 60 with the yolk member 52 therebetween for appropriately positioning the member 52 with respect to the valve plug 51. An external end of the shaft 60 is passed through a bore in a valve control member 66. The control member 66 is secured to the shaft 60 by means of a set screw 67, and further includes internal threads with which an end 68 of the lever arm 31 is coupled. A locking nut 69 may be threaded onto the end 68 of the lever arm 31 to lock the arm to the control member 66. Movement of the float ball 30 up and down thus rotates the shaft 60 thereby pivoting the yolk member 52 respectively to allow the valve plug 51 to fall as shown in FIGURE 5 or to raise the valve plug 51 to the position shown in FIGURE 6.

The valve mechanism 34 within the housing 35 further includes a fitting 70 having threads 71 threaded into the top of the housing 35. A plurality of fingers 72 extend downwardly within the housing 35 from the fitting 70` to form a guide for the valve plug 51. A shoulder 73 is provided on the lower end of the fitting 70 against which the upper end of the valve plug 51 may seat as shown in FIGURE 6. The fitting 70 includes a T passageway 74 therethrough to allow water passing from the bore 48 into the housing 35 to flow between the fingers 72 (when the plug 51 is not seated on the shoulder 73) and through the passageway 74 to the upper end 75 of the tting 70. The housing 35 provides an anti-Siphon arrangement between the water supply bore 48 and the hush tube 55 and fitting 70.

A cap 77 is secured to the upper end 75 of the fitting 70 by means of a screw 78. The lower end of the cap 77 seats with a fiange 79 on the fitting 70, and the cap 77 has an aperture therein to which a wash and refill tube 80 is secured. The tube 80 extends from the cap 77 into the chamber 22 (note FIGURE l) in the rim 21 of the water closet bowl 13. As will appear subsequently, the valve mechanism within the housing 35 allows water to communicate through the tube 80 to wash and fill the bowl 13, and to communicate through the tube 55 to refill the tank 11. The cap 77 not only facilitates removal of the tube 80 which is attached thereto, but provides an annular chamber between the interior of the cap and top of the fitting 70 which allows water to fiow through both arms of the passageway 74 to the tube 80.

The shut off valve 36 includes a housing 83 having an internal bore 84, a passageway 85, a valve seat 86 between the bore 84 and the passageway 85, and a valve plug 87 positioned within the bore 84. The end of the housing 83 is secured to the housing 35 to provide fluid communication between the passageway 85 in the shut off valve 36 and the bore 50 in the valve mechanism 34. A fitting 88 is threaded into an end of the housing 83, and includes an internal bore 89 (note FIGURE 8) within which the plug 87 may reciporcate. A cylindrical resilient sealing ring 90 may be provided on an end of the plug 87 for forming a good seal with the valve seat 86. The plug 87 may be formed of a plastic material, such as nylon or a uorocarbon resin, and the ring 90 preferably is formed of a resilient material, such as rubber.

The exterior end of the plug 87 has a pin .92 extending therethrough land coupled with a bifurcated end 93 of the valve control member 66. Rotation of the valve control member 66 about the axis of the shaft 60 thereby moves the plug 87 within the housing 83 to turn on or off water supplied from the tube 47 to the passageway 85, and thus to the valve mechanism 34. Water under pressure is supplied to the shut off valve 36 normal to the axis of the plug 87 thereby providing a balanced valve. Thus, when the valve 36 is closed as illustrated in FIGURE 9, water pressure does not tend to open the valve, and water pressure changes do not tend to cause the end of the plug 87 to clatter against the seat 86. Additionally, as the float ball 30 goes down, water pressure through the tube 47 against the end of the plug 87 exerts a force tending to push the float ball down thereby reducing the changes of the valve 36 becoming stuck.

When the tank 11 i-s full, the valve mechanism 34 and the shut off valve 36 are respectively in the positions shown in FIGURES 5 and 9. When the water closet is fiushed, the stopper 16 is raised allowing the water in the tank 11 to ow into the bowl 13. When this occurs, the lioat ball 30 begins to move downwardly with the level of the water in the tank 11 thereby opening the shut off valve 36 and allowing water under pressure to .pass through the `shut off valve 36 to the housing 35, and to pass through the passageway 74 in the fitting 70 and the tube to wash the bowl 13.

Upon further downward movement of the ball 30, the bottom surface of the fiange 53 on the valve plug 51 unseats from the end of the hush tube 55 allowing water to communicate through the hush tube to start refilling the tank 11. When the float ball 30 reaches its bottom position, the upper end of the valve plug 51 seats with the shoulder 73 on the fitting 70 thereby preventing any further wash water from fiowing from the tube 80 into the bowl 13. As the tank 11 is refilled, the float ball 30 rises thereby unseating the upper end of the plug 51 from the shoulder 73 on the fitting 70 and allowing water to pass through the`tube 80 to refill the bowl 13. The tank 11 also continues to refill until the lower end of the plug 51 seats with the upper end of the hush tube 55, followed by closure of the shut ofi valve 36.

It will Ibe understood that although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and discussed, other configurations, structural arrangements and applications are possible and that the embodiment disclosed may be subjected to various changes, modifications, and substitutions without necessarily departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A ball cock valve assembly for a one-piece water closet comprising:

bracket means mounted on a wall of a water closet tank, said bracket means having a leg portion receiving a water supply tube, a leg protion rigidly retaining a valve assembly inside the tank of a water closet, and a passageway therethrough allowing fluid communication between a water supply tube and said valve assembly;

said valve assembly including first valve means coupled to said bracket means and in fiuid communication with said passageway turning on and off fiuid received therefrom, and second valve means supplying wash and fill water to the bowl of said water closet and fill water to the tank of said water closet;

said first valve means including a housing and first plug means positioned in a bore therein with fluid being supplied to said bore in said first valve means from the passageway in said bracket means substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said plug means, said rst valve means having a port supplying fiuid to said second valve means;

said second valve means'including a housing having an aperture therein in fluid communication with said port of said first valve means and having first and second outlets respectively communicating with said bowl and said tank, said second valve means including Isecond plug means selectively sealing said first or second outlet and plug operating means causing said second plug means to seal with said first outlet; and

fioat means having a control member attached thereto and to said first plug means and said plug operating means controlling the operation of said first and second plug means as a function of water level within lsaid tank.

2. A ball cock assembly comprising: first valve means having an inlet receiving water under pressure, said first valve means including a housing and first plug means positioned in a bore therein with the water being supplied to said bore in said first valve means substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said plug means, said first valve means having a port;

second valve means supplying wash and fill water to the bowl of a water closet and fill Water to the tank of said water closet, said second valve means being operatively coupled with said first valve means and including a housing having an aperture therein in fluid communication with the port of said first valve means and having first and second outlets respectively communicating with said bowl and said tank, said second valve means including second plug means selectively sealing said rst .or said second outlet and plug operating means causing said second plug means to seal with said first outlet; and

control means coupled to said first plug means and said plug operating means and coupled with fioat means controlling the operation of said first and second plug means as a function of water level within said tank.

3. A ball cock assembly comprising: first valve means having an inlet receiving water under pressure, said first valve means including a housing and first plug means positioned within a bore therein with the water being supplied to said bore in said first valve means substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said plug means, said first valve means having a port, and said first plug means having coupling means coupled with an end thereof external to said bore in said housing;

second valve means supplying Wash and fill water to the bowl of a water closet and fill water to the tank of said water closet, said second valve means being operatively coupled with said first valve means and including a housing having an aperture therein in fluid communication with the port of said first valve means and having first and second outlets respectively communicating with said bowl and said tank, said second valve means including fitting means coupled with said first outlet, said fitting means including a passageway therethrough and guide means, second plug means positioned in said guide means selectively sealing said passageway in said fitting means or said second outlet, and plug operating means causing said second plug means to seal said passageway in said fitting means; and

control means coupled with the coupling means of said first plug means and said plug operating means and coupled with float means controlling the operation of said first and second plug means as a function of water level within said tank.

4. A ball cock assembly comprising: first valve means having an inlet receiving water under pressure, said first valve means including a housing and first plastic plug means positioned within a bore therein with the water being supplied to said bore in said first valve means substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said plug means, said first valve means having a port, and said first plug means having resilient sealing means thereon and having coupling means on an end thereof external to said bore in said housing;

second valve means supplying wash and ll water to the bowl of a water closet and fill water to the tank of said water closet, said second valve means being operatively coupled with said first valve means and including a housing having an aperture therein in fluid communication with the port of Said first valve means and having first and second outlets respectively communicating with said bowl and said tank, said second valve means including fitting means coupled with said first outlet, said fitting means including a passageway there through and protuberances forming guide means, said plastic plug means positioned in said guide means selectively sealing said passageway in said fitting means or said second outlet, and plug operating means causing Said second plug means to seal said passagewary in said fitting means; and

control means coupled with said coupling means on said first plug means and said plug operating means and coupled with iioat means controlling the operation of said first and second plug means as a function of water level within said tank.

5. A ball cock assembly comprising:

bracket means for mounting on a wall of a water closet tank, said bracket means having a leg portion receiving a water supply tube, a leg portion rigidly retaining first and second valve means inside the tank of a water closet, and a passageway therethrough allowing fluid communication between a Water supply tube and said first valve means;

said first valve means having an inlet receiving water under pressure, said first valve means including a housing and first plastic plug means positioned within a bore therein with the water being supplied to said bore in said first valve means substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said plug means, said rst valve means having a port, and said first plug means having resilient sealing means thereon and having coupling means on an end thereof external to said bore in said housing;

said second valve means serving to supply wash and fill water to the bowl of a water closet and fill water to the tank of said water closet, said second valve means being operatively coupled with said first valve means and including a housing having an aperture therein in fluid communication with the port of said first valve means and having first and second outlets respectively communicating with said bowl and said tank, said second valve means including fitting means coupled with said first outlet, said fitting means including a passageway therethrough and protuberances forming guide means, second plastic plug means positioned in said guide means selectively sealing said passageway in said fitting means or said second outlet, and plug operating means causing said second plug means to seal said passageway in said fitting means; and

control means coupled with said coupling means on said first plug means and said plug operating means and coupled with fioat means controlling the operation of said first and second plug means as a function of water level within said tank.

6. In a ball cock assembly for a one-piece water closet,

a valve mechanism comprising:

a housing having a first aperture therein receiving water under pressure, a second aperture therein receiving an end of a first tube through which water may be supplied to a tank of a water closet, and a third aperture therein;

fitting means secured in said third aperture, said fitting means including a passageway therethrough allowing fluid communication from said first aperture to a second tube, said fitting means including a plurality of protuberances extending therefrom forming a guide;

a plug means positioned in said guide and selectively forming a seal with said first tube or the passageway in said fitting means respectively preventing fluid communication between said first aperture and said first tube and between said first aperture and said passageway in said fitting means, and arm means engaging said plug means; and

control means coupled with said arm means moving said arm means.

7. In a ball cock assembly for a one-piece water closet,

a valve mechanism comprising a housing having a first aperture therein receiving water under pressure, a second aperture therein receiving an end of a rst tube through which water may be supplied to a tank of a water closet, and a third aperture therein;

fitting means secured in said third aperture, said fitting means including a passageway extending therethrough and a plurality of protuberances extending therefrom forming a guide, cap means coupled with said fitting means and having a hole therein connected to a second tube providing fluid communication from said first aperture through said passageway and through said hole to said second tube;

plug means positioned in said guide and having ends selectively forming a seal with the passageway in said fitting means or said first tube respectively preventing fluid communication between said first aperture and said passageway in said fitting means and between said first aperture and said first tube, arm means causing said plug means to seal with said passageway; and

control means coupled with said arm means and coupled with float means moving said arm means.

8. In a ball cock assembly for a one-piece water closet,

a valve mechanism comprising:

a housing having a first aperture therein receiving water under pressure, a second aperture therein receiving an end of a first tube through which water may be supplied to a tank of a water closet, and a third aperture therein;

fitting means secured in said third aperture, said fitting means including a passageway extending therethrough and a plurality of protuberances extending therefrom forming a guide, cap means coupled with said fitting means and having a hole therein connected to a second tube providing fiuid communication from said first aperture through said passageway and through said hole to said second tube;

plastic plug means positioned in said guide and having a first end selectively forming a seal with the passageway in said fitting means and a second fianged end selectively forming a seal with said first tube respectively preventing fluid communication between said first aperture and said passageway in said fitting means and between said first aperture and said first tube, arm means causing said plug means to seal with said passageway; and

control means coupled with said arm means and coupled with oat means moving said arm means. 9. In a ball cock valve assembly for a one-piece water closet, a shut off valve comprising:

a housing having a first aperture receiving water from a Supply source under pressure, said housing having a bore therein communicating at its side with said aperture and an outlet passageway having a portion coaxial with said bore, the interface between said bore portion and said outlet passageway defining a valve seat; fitting means coupled with said housing and extending into said bore; and plug means mounted within an aperture in said fitting means and extending axially into said vbore in said housing substantially normal to the direction of Water entry through said first aperture, said plug means including sealing means forming a seal with said valve seat, and meansy coupled with an end of said plug means enabling said plug means to be reciprocated within said bore to thereby control water tiow between said first aperture and said outlet passageway. 20 10. In a ball cock valve assembly for a one-piece water closet, a shut ofi valve comprising:

a housing having a first aperture receiving water from a supply source under pressure, said housing having a bore therein communicating at its side with said aperture and an outlet passageway having a portion coaxial with said bore, the interface 'between said bore portion and Said outlet passageway defining a valve seat; fitting means coupled with said housing and extending into said bore; and

plastic plug means mounted within an aperture in said fitting means and extending axially into said bore in said housing substantially normal to the direction of water entry through said first aperture, said plug means including resilient sealing means forming a seal with said valve seat, and means coupled with an end of said plug means enabling said plug means to be reciprocated within said bore thereby controlling water flow between said first aperture and said outlet passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 461,213 10/1891 Boyle 4-15 605,989 6/1898 Bean 4-52 770,811 9/1904 Lally 4-52 920,465 5/ 1909 Houser 4-14 1,670,326 5/1928 Teahen 4-13 l,763,524 6/1930 Joiner 4-13 1,880,296 10/1932 Taylor 4-13 2,923,012 2/1960 Kohlmeyer 4--12 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,487 3/ 1888 Great Britain. 829,147 3/1938 France.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

